Five Washington insiders steeped in knowledge about the 340B program will take part in a 340B Report webinar Oct. 28 about 340B’s future after the November midterm elections.
The event from 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. Eastern is an exclusive free benefit for 340B Report subscribers. 340B Report Publisher and CEO Ted Slafsky, who will moderate the panel, will be joined by:
- Vacheria Keys
- Director of Regulatory Affairs, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
- Michael McCaughan
- Founding Member, Prevision Policy
- Contributor to and former Editor-In-Chief of The Pink Sheet
- Peggy Tighe
- Principal, Powers Law
- Legislative Counsel, Ryan White Clinics for 340B Access
- Josh Trent, Principal, Leavitt Partners
- Former Chief Health Counsel to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Greg Walden (R-Ore.)
- Former White House staff member
This will be 340B Report’s second webinar. The first one last May was on drug company conditions on 340B pricing involving the contract pharmacy program and how they are managed by industry contractor Second Sight Solutions. More than 800 subscribers registered to attend.
The webinar will be less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 elections. Thirty-four U.S. Senate seats and all 435 U.S. House seats are up for election.
The Senate is split 50-50 with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote. Democrats are defending 14 Senate seats and Republicans 21. In the House, Democrats hold a 220-212 advantage with three seats vacant. Republicans currently are favored to win the House. Election forecasters say the Senate either is a toss-up or Democrats have a slight edge.
If Republicans take control of one or both chambers, they are expected to seek changes to 340B that help drug manufacturers and hinder mainly hospitals. Covered entities meanwhile want legislation to stop PBM and payer encroachment on their 340B revenues. Some entities also want Congress to make clear that drug makers must honor 340B contract pharmacy arrangements.
Lobbyists and policy experts from both sides of the 340B divide say there could be a push to pass 340B legislation during the post-election lame duck session.
“The webinar comes at a critical moment in the program’s 30-year history,” says Slafsky. “The midterms will have a significant impact on the future of 340B and we are getting together some of the most insightful minds to help us understand where we are headed” Slafsky adds.
Pressure is mounting for Congress to act. Some federal district judges that decided 340B contract pharmacy lawsuits during the past year said in their rulings that Congress needed to clarify the 340B statute. The federal agency that runs the 340B program has been telling Congress for years it needs broad regulatory authority over the program. NACHC, irate about a 340B administrative dispute resolution panel’s dismissal of its overcharging complaints against two drug makers, recently said, “Health centers need Congress to move urgently to protect and strengthen the 340B program before it’s too late.
Meanwhile, a recent New York Times investigation about a Virginia health system’s stewardship of its 340B program prompted members of the state’s congressional delegation—including some of the prime backers of 340B providers on the national stage—to call for more oversight.
340B Report subscribers can register for the Oct. 28 webinar here. The deadline is Oct. 24. Those wishing to subscribe to 340B Report can take advantage of a special 25% discount here using code 340BWebinar25. (Discount is only available for first-time subscribers. Free trial subscribers cannot attend the webinar unless they pay for a subscription prior to registration.) Questions? Please contact Julie DeMaio.
